Posture Perfecter

Take aim at rounded shoulders with Dhanurasana.

By Carol Krucoff

Look, Ma, No Hands

Before trying to "string" Bow Pose with your arms, practice a preparatory version that doesn't require catching the ankles. Lie face-down with your legs hip-width apart and your arms by your sides, palms down. Bend your knees so that your shins are perpendicular to the floor, then lift the soles of your feet skyward. Exhale completely. On an inhalation, lift your head, shoulders, and upper back as high as you comfortably can as you keep your neck long by extending through the crown of your head.

Stay there, and as you exhale, move your feet up toward the sky. Don't worry if your thighs don't lift very far off the floor; just do the best you can. Stay here for two or three breaths, continuing to lift your upper body and feet. Keep length in your lower back by sending breath into the back waist. Then release and relax.

One Bow at a Time

Some people can clasp one ankle but not both—either from tightness in the quadriceps or shoulders or from a knee problem. The Half Bow variation offers the experience of the complete, integrated pose on one side. Once you're comfortable creating the basic shape of the pose with no hands, try Half Bow.

To come into Half Bow, lie on your belly with both of your arms extended forward. Bend your right knee, reach your right arm back, and take hold of your right ankle. Flex your right foot and, on an inhalation, move your right heel away from your buttock, using this action to help you lift your head and right shoulder off the floor and bow your body back as much as is comfortably possible. As you hold one ankle, extend the other leg and arm, pressing them into the floor to help stabilize the pose. Hold for three breaths on each side. If you need extra cushioning under your hips, lay a folded blanket over your yoga mat.

Grab a Strap

Another helpful modification for Bow Pose is to use a strap. Place the strap on one end of your mat where your shins will rest and curve it into a U shape. Lie face-down on the mat, making sure that the strap is positioned under your shins, and take one end of the strap in each hand. Keeping the legs hip-width apart, bend your knees and flex your feet, moving the strap so that it rests on your ankles. Walk your hands down the strap so they are as close to your feet as possible.

Now, bring your heels toward your buttocks as you draw your abdominals in. Take a few breaths, extending your tailbone toward your knees and broadening the back of your pelvis. On an inhalation, "string the bow" by moving your shins away from your buttocks, letting this action draw your shoulders back and lift your head and chest off the floor. Focus on lifting your ribs and thighs off the floor, and ground yourself on your pubic bones and hip points. Flex your feet and lift the soles toward the ceiling so that your knees and as much of your thighs as possible are off the floor. Keep your neck long by extending the crown of the head toward the sky. Take your gaze upward, but don't drop your head back—keep the neck long. If this bothers your neck, gaze forward, not up.

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